Life Sucks (Big Four)
by xxsweetestdownfall
Summary: Rapunzel, Merida, and Hiccup are the "outcast" group of their high school. Merida is crushing over the popular Jack Frost, but his eyes are set on Elsa Arandelle...or so it seems. Follow the big four (and some friends) as they muddle through the complexities of teen life.
1. Chapter 1- Lunchtime Blues

**Life Sucks**

**Chapter 1: Lunchtime Blues**

"Punz? Oy, Punz!"

Rapunzel looked up from her doodling to see her friend, Merida.

"Well, what doo ya think about it?"

Rapunzel only smiled and shook her head. "He already has a girlfriend, Merida. And I doubt he'll be leaving that ice queen any time soon."

"Ugh… a lass can dream, can't she?"

Jack Frost was the most swooned-over boy in their grade. Ever since freshman year, though, he had been dating Elsa Arendelle. Every guy wanted her, and it was easy to see why the two were together- if looks were all that counted. Elsa seemed to have let the popularity get to her head, so she was full of herself. At one time she was kind, or at least that's what Merida said.

"Ah don' understand what happened," Merida sighed. "She an' I were so close. She was so sweet. Then came sixth grade, an' suddenly ah wasn't cool enough ta hang out with."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "You're the coolest person I know, Mer. Other than Hiccup, of course. After all, how many people can shoot an apple right off my head?"

"Ah am still surprised ya let me doo that…"

The girls erupted into a fit of giggles, remembering the way Hiccup had freaked when he saw Merida's arrow loose straight at Rapunzel's head. The blonde had faith in her red-headed companion, and never doubted that she would be fine. The two had met freshman year, when Rapunzel's mom finally decided to let her mingle with people instead of continuing to be homeschooled. The combination of Rapunzel's social awkwardness and Merida's tomboyish antics had set them apart from the other kids, who regarded them as freaks. It was fine by them, they didn't want to hang out with the others anyway. When Hiccup moved to their school halfway through freshman year, he was a shoe-in for the group. Scrawny, with mousy-brown hair and bright green braces, he wouldn't have lasted a week. Luckily, everyone was afraid of Merida, who threatened long ago that anyone who laid a hand on her or her friends would be sorry.

"I hope this doesn't mean you guys are gonna try something stupid again…" Hiccup sat down by Rapunzel, across from Merida. He set his lunch tray down with a sigh. "I don't want to have to call an ambulance…"

"Oh, quit yer whinin'. We were just havin' a little fun, weren't we Punz?"

The blonde giggled again. "No, not this time," she addressed the awkward teen. "We were just discussing Merida's chances with the almighty Jack Frost." Her voice dripped with sarcasm at the title. "She likes him, you know," she said with a wink.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Ya, her and every other girl in this school. What's with that guy anyway? He's a total jerk, and yet girls practically faint when he walks by…"

Merida was no longer listening, however, since the boy in question was in fact walking by. She stared at him, one hand propping up her chin as her eyes gazed on in a dreamy wonder.

"Aaaand we've lost her…" Rapunzel sighed. She looked over at the white-haired boy. Why was every girl so obsessed with him? She didn't see the big deal. Jack sat down at the popular kids table, right next to Elsa. Across from them were Anna, Elsa's twin (minus the hair- theres a rumor that Elsa dyed hers white to be just like Jack. She claims, of course, that it was from a sudden drop in nutrients that caused her hair to white prematurely) and her boyfriend, Hans. He is captain of the football team, so there's no wonder there. Next to him was Kristoff, another well-built young man, and his girlfriend, Astrid. They seemed to be having a good time. Rapunzel shook her head.

"What is it you see in him?" she asked her star-struck friend.

"He's jus' so… Ah don' know. He's got an air about 'im, ya know?"

Hiccup watched as the overly-confident Jack Frost sat silently. Trying to be cool, he guessed. "Not…really…"

"Oh, yer jus' jealous 'cuz he gets ta sit across from Anna."

"Shut up."

"C'mon, its obvious ya like her." She turned to Rapunzel, "Honestly, ah've always liked her better than her sister. Ah think she's only datin' the big guy 'cuz she doesn't want ta embarrass Elsa."

Rapunzel looked back at Anna with pity. The poor thing… she was just trying to make her sister happy.

"Well, I'd never pretend to be someone else just to make someone happy." She huffed, crossing her arms.

"Aw, not even me?" Merida asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes.

"Well…"

The two giggled again. Hiccup just poked at his food- his appetite had left the moment he saw the colorless glop that sat on his tray. Luckily, the bell rang, and it was off to fifth period.


	2. Chapter 2- Advice from a Friend

**Life Sucks**

**Chapter 2- Advice from a Friend**

Jack Frost looked at his reflection in the mirror as he washed his hands. He went ahead and splashed some cold water onto his face. He loved the feeling, and he'd need it in order to keep himself awake through class. Why did all of these classes have to be so boring? He will never, ever, have to recite the dates for the major battles of the Civil War after high school. Why bother learning something so useless?

He just sighed and made his way back to the lunchroom. The whole way there, he couldn't help but notice people staring out of the corner of his eye. Well, not _people_…it was mainly just the girls. Either way, the feeling unnerved him. He walked by a table where a girl with a seemingly untamable red mane stared at him dreamily, and he became officially creeped out. He hurried quickly to his seat next to Elsa.

"What took you so long? Is your face…wet?"

"Oh, you know how boring History is. I have to do _something_ to keep from falling asleep."

The others laughed, and he relaxed a little. It was getting easier to just ignore the stares. When he had first moved to town in middle school, he was afraid of getting picked on because of the odd color of his hair. His defense was perfect, and played out spectacularly- he just didn't care. He'd cross his arms, yawn, do anything to feign boredom. His teachers hated it, but everyone else seemed to love it. Girls would fall head over heels for his cold demeanor, and the other guys thought it was cool that he stood up to the teachers and didn't care about the rules. He was soon inducted into the "cool kids", and stayed safely on top of the food chain.

He looked back over to Elsa, who was leading the group in her latest gossip. Astrid and Anna listened intently, while he and the other guys exchanged glances. It was tiring to have to listen to them constantly talk. He shot Hans a text and a smirk to go along with it.

"Have u seen my ears? Think they r by ur feet"

The football captain stifled a laugh that went by virtually unnoticed by the girls. Jack felt his phone buzz and looked down to read the reply.

"U taking elsa to prom?"

Jack sighed. As much as he liked El, she was getting on his last nerve lately. He wasn't sure how much longer he'd be able to stand her. She just acted like she was queen of the world, and he felt like there was no room for him in her twisted fantasy.

"idk"

Hans shot his eyebrows up at him. Jack just shrugged. He knew Elsa was expecting prom to be a big deal (even though they were only juniors- shouldn't prom be a bigger thing senior year?) and she was expecting him to ask. Judging by Hans' curiosity, Anna must have passed along the request to make it sooner rather than later. He, however, wasn't sure he wanted to do it at all.

As the lunch period ended, he grabbed his books and headed off to class.

"Saved by the bell…" he muttered under his breath.

In his hurry, he bumped into a girl with freakishly long, blonde hair. "Sorry, my bad," he mumbled. She just shot him a look and rolled her eyes, picking her book up off the ground and walking in the other direction. He looked back at her and his eyes trailed her braid- the thing practically dragged the floor. His eyes shot back up (out of his control) to her butt, which he continued watching until she turned the corner into the main hallway. He shook his head and headed in the opposite direction. Just a few more hours…

He laid in bed, eyes closed, mind relaxed. His feet were propped up on his pillow and his head hung off the side. He knew what he had to do, but he didn't know how to do it.

"What is keeping my little ice man in the dumps?"

North, Jack's foster dad, waddled his way into the room. Jack had never really thought of North as a foster parent- more like a good friend. He could always tell what Jack was feeling, and made for good company.

"Who says I'm down in the dumps?"

"I can feel it-" the large, white-haired man patted his middle- "in my belly. Now tell me, what is it?"

"Have you ever broken up with a girl before?"

North just laughed his bellowing laugh and sat next to Jack on the bed. "You are getting cold feet? No worries. You are high schooler. No need to find wife now."

Jack just chuckled. "I don't _want_ a wife. In fact, I'm not sure I even want a girlfriend."

"Why date this girl in first place?"

"Well…" Jack thought about it, and finally replied, "She was different when I met her. She was really sweet. She didn't laugh at me or make fun of my hair. In fact, she died her hair white too, so I wouldn't feel so alone."

"This sounds like sweet girl. Why you want to break up now?"

Jack's face became serious. "She's changed, North. All she cares about is being popular, and having friends, and toting me around on her arm like her latest handbag. I just don't want to be used like that anymore."

North leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. "Sounds like you must make decision. Maybe you can talk together?"

"I'm afraid if I start that she'll talk me out of it."

"So, you have already made decision then?"

The large man stood up and walked back out of the room, leaving Jack to his thoughts. Now that he thought about it, he really had already made the decision. It was just going about putting it into action that made his head spin.


	3. Chapter 3- Stand Still!

**Life Sucks**

**Chapter 3- Stand Still!**

"Oh. My. God."

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "Will you quit freaking out? He bumped into me. It was rude, not romantic."

"But ye actually made contact with 'im. How did et feel?"

"I was expecting an apology."

Merida slumped back onto her friend's bed. Rapunzel turned her attention back to her math homework. There was a knock at the front door, and Rapunzel could hear her mother talking with someone. Then another soft knock, and she leaned in the doorway.

"Girls, there's an adorable boy who wants to hang out with you," she sing-songed.

Rapunzel smiled. "Let him in, mom."

Hiccup walked in and set his stuff down on the floor before plopping himself on the nearest chair. He gave Rapunzel a smile, then looked over at Merida. His gaze fell back to Rapunzel, who just shrugged.

"Whatever."

Rapunzel and Hiccup were startled at Merida's sudden change in tone. The blonde looked over at her friend and asked, "What do you mean, 'whatever'"?

"Ah mean what ah said. Ah can't spend mah life obsessin' over some boy. Ah'd much rather be out havin' fun."

Rapunzel smiled. It was good to have her friend back. As much as it fascinated her to see the red-head react to different things, she always seemed the most comfortable in her own element.

"Alright, but only after we finish our homework."

Merida sighed in frustration and Hiccup gave a nervous laugh. "Guess you two will be getting into trouble later, then?"

The girls looked over at him, and he blushed lightly. "Oh, ya don't think we've forgotten about yoo, doo ye?"

Hiccup planted his hand on his face and groaned. "I should have just stayed home…"

Jack looked down at his phone. 14 missed calls…she was going to have his head when she finally got a hold of him. He sighed, and dropped the contraption onto his desk. Shrugging off his letterman jacket, he opted for his favorite dark blue hoodie and a pair of old brown pants that fit him snugly. He called out to North to let him know that he'd be gone for a few hours, then took off out the front door and down to the lake.

As the breeze picked up, he closed his eyes and let the wind tussle his hair. He would have liked to stay that way forever, but a few kids he knew from school could be seen in the distance. He didn't care who they were, he didn't want to talk to anyone. He pulled up his hood to hide his hair and ducked down off the path and into some bushes. The lake looked beautiful from where he was, and the light spring breeze only complimented the experience. Upon looking up, he realized that he hadn't climbed a tree in a while. He grabbed the branch of the nearest one and nimbly climbed upwards, until he was a good twenty feet off the ground. He leaned back against the trunk and closed his eyes again, lulling into a light slumber.

Merida laughed. "Yoo've got to stand still if ye don't want me ta miss!"

Hiccup gulped. "How did you convince me to get into this ridiculous situation…"

"Well, Rapunzel has ta paint _somethin'_ for the upcomin' competition."

"This will definitely win points for originality," the young boy mumbled.

"Ah'm sorry, it seems as though strainin' ta hear ya is throwin' off mah aim," Merida warned.

Rapunzel smiled, glad her friend was back. "Aw, give him a break Mer! And hold still just a little bit longer…"

The blonde turned her attention back to her canvas, delicately mixing the blues, greens, and browns that were her friends' clothing. Merida's hair she was saving for last- it was her favorite thing to paint! It just went off in every direction, in every shade of red and orange, with every possible ray of light reflecting off of it.

"How much longer?" Hiccup begged.

"Just a few more moments…"

Rapunzel added the finishing touches to Hiccup's hair and clothing. "Okay, Hiccup, you are done!"

"Ey, what about me?!"

Hiccup ignored Merida's protests and walked over to where his friend stood, bow poised.

"Hold still a few more minutes Mer! You know how I love to paint your hair…"

Merida huffed in mock annoyance. As much as she liked to protest, Rapunzel knew it was all a show. The fiery spirit loved it when her friend took the time to focus on every detail of her paintings. She loved watching Rapunzel's eyes light up when she captured the moment perfectly.

Hiccup coughed.

"Yes, and what do ye want?" Merida asked, slightly annoyed.

"Well," Hiccup began, "I was wondering if you had a date for prom."

"Very funny, mouse boy."

"I'm being serious," he continued.

Rapunzel just grinned, and Merida shot her a look. "Yoo set this up, didn't ye?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Aw, come on Merida! We don't have to date or kiss or whatever-" yet even as he said so, his face flushed slightly, "we can just go as friends. It'll be fun."

Merida thought about the idea, but it was Rapunzel who sealed the deal.

"And if you don't have a good time, Hiccup here will let you shoot the apple off of his head for real."

"Deal."

Hiccup gulped.

The sun began to set. The rays of pink and orange woke Jack from his slumber. He looked around, for a moment confused about where he was. He looked around, and the riverside seemed empty…

Scratch that. There was something down by the shore. Curiosity brought him down from the tree, and he was almost to the object when he realized that there was a person sitting in front of it. He rubbed his eyes, cursing the momentary blindness from staring into the setting sun.

Rapunzel turned around, startled. "Who's there?"

Jack looked at her, confused. Was he really that difficult to recognize? He went to run his fingers through his hair, then realized his hoodie was still on.

"Oh, sorry," he called out. "It's, uh, Jim."

"Jim"? Rapunzel asked in confusion. "Do I know you?"

"Uh, probably not," Jack replied. He was going to have fun with this. "I'm homeschooled."

**Author's Note:**

**Well, what do you guys think? Should I keep going? Want to find out what Jack/Jim has up his sleeve?**

**Geeze, these chapters just keep getting longer and longer…**


	4. Chapter 4- Secrets Revealed

**Life Sucks**

**Chapter 4- Secrets Revealed**

**Author's note:**

**So, I would looove for you all to send some reviews my way! Let me know what you like/don't like, ask questions, etc. **

Rapunzel dipped her feet in the warm bath, then slid herself all the way in. It was relaxing. She always needed one after she painted, since doing so made her entire body go rigid with suspense and fear of making a mistake. She held her breath and completely submerged into the hot water of their giant bath tub. Her mother had taken her to a secondhand appliance store to get it. She still remembered how terrible it looked when they first saw it. Her mother had just turned up her nose and passed by, but Rapunzel saw it's potential. With enough convincing (it helped that the price was fairly low) she managed to get her hands on it.

Now the outside of the tub was covered with beautiful painted doodles. Rapunzel smiled, rising back to the surface.

As her thoughts wandered, she centered in on that afternoon. After Merida and Hiccup had left and she finished the painting, she couldn't help but notice the beautiful sunset. Luckily, she had an extra canvas, so she set herself up by the shore and began to paint. She didn't go too perfectionist on this one, it was more for fun. When she had almost finished, she had been interrupted by a boy- Jim- who confessed to her that he was being homeschooled. She had felt sorry for him, knowing full well how boring it was.

"Ah, it doesn't bother me much", Jim had said.

"Don't you want to socialize and have friends?" she had asked.

"Sometimes it's easier to be alone," he had replied, then under his breath, "no one can hurt you."

Rapunzel thought back on what he had said. It's true, she didn't have to worry about getting hurt when it was just her and mother. But on the other hand, she never would have met Merida and Hiccup. Despite being called a freak and her terrible first week at school, she would do it again if given the chance.

And yet, despite his claim that being alone was great, they still exchanged numbers. She looked over to her phone on the counter. Almost on cue, it buzzed. As she finished up in the tub and wrapped a towel around her, she picked it up. Merida had texted her. The two conversed about the whole prom ordeal, and Rapunzel promised to go with her to help pick out a dress. She knew that dressing up was Merida's least favorite part, but the red-head loved to party.

Jack looked down at his phone, anxiously awaiting her reply. He knew he shouldn't have done this over text, but he wasn't going to see her until Monday, and he didn't want to get her hopes up. His phone buzzed. Before he had a chance to check the message, it buzzed again. And again. And again.

"Oh boy…" he muttered to himself.

Hiccup couldn't stop smiling. His dad looked at him like he must be coming down with something, but said nothing.

"Can I be excused?"

"Umm… sure."

The wiry teen hopped up from the table and quickly put his dishes away in the sink. He then went back to his room and counted the money he had saved waiting tables at The Snugly Duckling all summer. After doing some quick calculations, he texted Rapunzel.

"I think I have enough. When r we gonna go?"

The reply came quickly.

"yay! :) lets go tomorrow. Mer has her horseback riding lessons."

"perfect"

He smiled once again to himself. He had never owned a suit before, but Rapunzel said that she would go with him and help him pick it out. Despite his joy, he couldn't help but be nervous about the whole ordeal.

Rapunzel looked out the window as Merida drove. They pulled into the school parking lot a good half hour before classes started. Merida rubbed her eyes.

"Why are we always gettin' ta school so early?" she asked.

"Hey, you are the one that offered to be my ride." Rapunzel retorted.

Merida just shrugged and the two walked through the front doors. "See ya at lunch!" the redhead called.

"Bye!"

Rapunzel walked to her locker and got everything in order for the first half of the day. She turned just in time to see her science teacher, Mr. Fitzherbert, walk by.

"Mornin' blondie", he called out.

She blushed, and waved in reply. For a teacher, he was _very_ cute. Besides art, his was her favorite class.

"Don't you get tired of staring at him so hard?"

Rapunzel jumped at the voice.

"Hiccup!" she exclaimed, "Don't scare me like that!"

The brown-haired boy just smiled and rolled his eyes. "When are you gonna tell him that you've been crushing on him?" he asked.

"Umm, how about never?" she said sarcastically.

But in the back of her mind, she knew she liked him. She loved listening to him talk, no matter what the subject was about. She wanted to be around him as much as she could.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a small sob. She looked around and realized that it was coming from the girl's bathroom. As she entered, she heard another voice. Getting closer, she could begin to make out what they were saying.

"It'll be okay, don't worry. He's not worth your time anyway."

"But….but… (sob) what went wrong? What did I do?!"

"You didn't do anything sweetie! He's just a jerk, that's all there is to it."

The sobbing continued, and Rapunzel backed out of the bathroom. Whatever was going on was under control, and it wasn't her place to stick her nose into other peoples' problems. She couldn't shake the feeling that the voices were familiar to hear, though. They were definitely very similar.

As she walked down the hall, she saw Astrid running around, flustered. She kept checking her phone and the hall numbers. Finally, she looked down the same hall as Rapunzel, and satisfied, hurried into the bathroom. Rapunzel walked on and sighed. Prom was a trying time, and no one could escape it- not even the popular kids.


	5. Chapter 5- Broken Lives and Butterflies

**Life Sucks**

**Chapter 5-Broken Lives and Butterflies**

**Author's note:**

**Hello all! ~**

**I received a review saying that Elsa seemed a bit mean- I know it may seem that way, but I was trying to show her as a victim to the fame. She **_**was**_** very kind when Merida knew her back in grade school, but popularity changes people. I hope this chapter helps shine some light on the subject.**

"Dude, that's not cool."

Hans leaned back against his locker, arms folded. Jack only sighed, his head down.

"I know. But what was I supposed to do? She's changed. It's like she is a totally different person than when we first met."

Kristoff dried his hair with a towel. "But seriously- over a text? You could have at least given her the courtesy of telling her in person."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Geez, you're starting to sound like a girl…" He rolled his eyes, slammed his locker shut and walked off. "Whatever," he mumbled.

The two jocks gave each other a look. As cool as Jack was, he was always making trouble. Sometimes it was fun (like last year, when it snowed, and they slid down the hills on an upside-down plastic foldable table. The cafeteria was pissed, but it was a blast) but most of the time it was trying on everyone around him.

-break-

Merida stared at the clock. It was only the middle of first period, and her mind felt like it might melt. She moved her gaze back to her Economics text book. Today they were talking about practical use- as in, how economics is used in politics today. Merida hated politics. People should just get along, and if they don't they can kill each other. No government should be involved.

"That's how _ah'd_ doo it," she mumbled to herself, "if _ah_ was tha president."

The red-head couldn't help but notice that it was uncharacteristically quiet. She looked over to her right. A few seats down, Elsa sat. Usually the ice queen would be sharing the latest gossip with all the girls around her, but today she had nothing to talk about. Upon closer examination, it seemed as though her eyes were red. Merida felt a pang of empathy, despite herself. The other girls wouldn't even give Elsa a second look. She looked…lonely.

The bell rang, and Elsa lingered, gathering her books. Merida sighed. "Ah can't believe ah'm doin' this…"

She waited at the door. Elsa was the last to leave, and stopped abruptly in front of Merida, her eyes large with fear.

"Hey Elsa," Merida began, "Are yoo okay? Ya look a little down."

The white-haired girl started to nod yes, then stopped. "No, not really." She looked up at Merida. "Why, you wanna poke fun at me too?"

Merida gave her a quizzical look. "Poke fun? Ah'm jus' tryin' ta be a friend. If ya don't want mah company, jus' say so."

Elsa gave Merida a small smile, then a big hug. "Thank you…"

-break-

Rapunzel couldn't believe what she was hearing. Merida continued her story.

"She was in tears. Ah sat there listenin' ta her for thirty minutes. Seems like Jack has a cold heart. Wouldn't tell her much about why, jus' that she'd 'changed' since they met. Whatever that means."

The blonde shook her head. "I can't believe this. What are we gonna do?"

"Ah invited her ta sit with us. She and Hic are already at the table."

The girls moved up in the lunch line. Rapunzel glanced over to where they ate lunch every day. "Looks like Anna's there too," she observed.

"Ya, well, she's her sister after all. And all tha other girls have turned their backs on her. Won't even acknowledge her presence."

Rapunzel winced. She remembered what it felt like to get stares and to be called names, but she couldn't imagine what it would be like to be ignored.

The two girls finally got their food and sat down at their table. Anne and Elsa had been talking, and Elsa was even smiling a little bit. "Hey," she said, "thanks again for letting me sit with you guys."

"Of course," Rapunzel replied, sitting next to the white-haired girl. _Anna and Elsa must be who I heard in the bathroom earlier today_, Rapunzel thought.

Hiccup looked around- he was surrounded by girls. He could get used to this. "Hey," he began, "we were all gonna head over to the mall today after school. Wanna join us?"

The sisters lit up. "Of course!" they replied in unison.

Merida gave Hiccup a tight smile. He responded with a quizzical look, then hit his face with his palm. "Crap…" he groaned.

"What?" Anna inquired.

"Well," Rapunzel began, "We were going to pick out stuff to make Hiccup and Merida's masks for prom." She felt very uneasy, not knowing what to do in this situation.

"That's fine," Elsa said cooly, "We have to make Anna's as well." She smiled at her sister. She was feeling better with a group of friends around her, and consequently the mention of prom only stung a little bit.

Hiccup sighed in relief. "Glad I didn't screw that up…"

Elsa looked over at the table she used to sit at, despite herself. She had been able to ignore it throughout the entire lunch period, but she couldn't help herself. She noticed that Jack was there, sitting with Kristoff, Hans, and Astrid. Every once in a while girls would walk by, seeing that the rumors were true, and try to flirt with Jack. _What a jerk_, Elsa thought to herself.

-break-

Rapunzel stood at her door and watched her friends leave. "Bye, see you all tomorrow!" She smiled as Hiccup scooted a bit closer to Merida. They had decided make the masks and to let them dry at Rapunzel's house. She was the most artsy of the group. However, she had noticed Elsa's talent when it came to fine detailing. The "ice queen" (as they now affectionately referred to her) had decided to make herself a mask, since she had already gotten a dress. Rapunzel made one as well, but just for fun.

"I can still go and have a great time," she had told the group.

Rapunzel smiled as she remembered the blast they had shopping for materials and decorating. She walked back into her room and began cleaning up. There wasn't much for her to clean, since the group offered to help out before they left.

She sat down on her bed and laid back.

"Oof!"

She sat back up, looking down at the hard surface she had laid back on. A textbook? But whose book was it? She opened up the inside and saw that it was registered to Anna. She grabbed the book and hurried back out the front door, hoping she could catch the girls before they had gone too far.

"Hey! Wait up!" she called out. A figure hidden by the shadows turned, then put his hood up.

"…Jim?"

Jack nodded, nearly breathless. How did a simple walk lead him here? He had meant to go out to the lake once more, to clear his mind. He must have taken a wrong turn. He wasn't exactly clear of mind when he had left. "Hey. Rapunzel, right?"

"Ya," the blonde girl blushed slightly. "What are you doing here? Do you live nearby?"

"Oh, uh, no. I was just on my way to the lake, before it gets dark."

Rapunzel giggled. "It's a nice place to sit and think, huh?" she replied, the textbook forgotten.

"I agree," he smiled back. "Would you, umm…care to join me?"

"Sure, give me a sec."

Jack smiled. She seemed sweet. She had a glow about her- but maybe it was the late afternoon sun. When she went back inside (to grab a coat, he guessed- it was still chilly out) he pulled out a black beanie cap and covered his hair, slowly replacing the hood of his jacket. He wasn't sure how much longer until she recognized him from school. Luckily, most people were too distracted by his hair to see any of his other features.

Rapunzel came back out with a light sweater on, and the two began walking toward the lake. As they began to hear the water, Jack tugged on Rapunzel's hair and ran off into a group of trees.

"Hey!" she called out, running after him. The sun had begun to set, so there were shadows everywhere. She stepped quickly and nimbly around the trees, finding him hiding in the shadows. As payback, she yanked his hood off.

"Ha! Gotcha!"

"Oh no you don't…"

Jack ran around her, tugging at her hair again. This time, however, he lost his footing. As the he fell backwards, she was pulled along and landed on top of him. The two shared an awkward moment that was broken only when Rapunzel giggled. Jack then snapped back to reality and relaxed a bit. She sat back up, chiding him.

"You know it's dangerous to partake in such horseplay," she mocked.

Jack grinned devilishly. "But it's much more fun."


	6. Chapter 6- A feeling of rushing relief

**Life Sucks**

**Chapter 6-A feeling of rushing relief, and a big smile**

**Author's Note:**

**OMG! You guys are awesome. :) Thank you sooo much for all the reviews! It really helps.**

**Sorry that this one is so short- getting ready for the holidays. I promise more after Christmas! Have a wonderful Holiday season!**

**Oh, and some clarification- it may seem confusing, but in ch 5 when I wrote "'I could always just go and have a good time'", that was meant to be Elsa. She is still going to prom, even if it's by herself. Not Rapunzel. Oh, and the "texting" will now be in italics. Makes it easier.**

Rapunzel blushed. Jim was… intriguing. He had a twinkle in his eyes that made her very curious about him- as if he were hiding something. His smirk gave her stomach butterflies. She stared away, unable to keep his gaze. "So," she began, "what have you been up to?"

"Up to?"

"Up to."

His smile faded a bit. "Well, to be honest, it hasn't been a great day."

She looked back to him, worry written on her face. "What happened?"

"Eh, it's just been this whole day. It's like I woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I feel like…"

He trailed off, but she nudged him.

"Like?"

"…like no matter what decisions I make, they are the wrong ones," he confessed.

He expected her to be confused, but instead she just nodded in understanding. She had definitely been in _that_ boat before.

"You mean like you want to branch out and make your own decisions, but everyone makes you feel pressured to do what they want?"

Jack looked down. "Ya, something like that."

Rapunzel put her hand on top of his and used her other hand to lift his chin, bringing them eye to eye. "You don't have to feel that way. You can be whoever you want to be, it doesn't matter what anyone else says. You can let them make all of your decisions for you, but at the end of the day, it is _you_ who has to live with those decisions."

Jack's face reddened. Her gaze was strong. He didn't know what to say- it was like she hit the nail right on the head. He finally smiled. "Thank you," he replied, "I never thought of it that way." He was beginning to enjoy her presence.

Satisfied, she pulled her hands back behind her and leaned back, looking up at the stars. Jack shifted his position so that he was next to her in the same position.

"The stars are so beautiful tonight," he remarked.

"I was thinking the same thing. I love it when the sky is clear like this." She fought the itch to sketch what she saw, and cursed herself for not bringing her notepad. At the thought she stopped, and realized she didn't know too much about what Jim liked to do.

"Hey Jim?"

"Hmm?"

"What sort of hobbies do you have?"

Jack looked over at her. "That came out of nowhere," he responded with a light laugh. "Well, I like to come out here and stargaze for one. It helps clear my mind."

Rapunzel could understand that. It was the same reason she painted. It was an escape from reality. For just a few moments, nothing existed except for her paintbrush and canvas.

"I…also like to write."

She looked over at the boy, seeing him in a new light. "What do you write?"

"Promise you won't laugh?"

"Cross my heart."

"…Poetry." He responded quickly, avoiding her eyes.

Rapunzel smiled. "A poet, huh? Well, let's hear some."

At least she didn't laugh.

Jack cleared his throat, then began.

"Innocence has left the world, and the lifelong day is done.

Our lives forever null and void, our battles never won.

We did this to ourselves you see,

Abandoned love and purity,

And in the end we'll only be,

A wretched world begun."

The blonde was taken back. The poem was powerful, yet sad. "That was beautiful," she finally said. She noticed that he still wouldn't meet her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Jack was thinking the same thing. How did that just tumble out of his mouth? He hadn't even let _North_ hear that one. He had been struck with it one night before falling asleep. The moon had cast its silver beams on him, and he felt the words just overflow. It was an accumulation of everything he had been feeling these past few weeks.

"Sorry," he finally managed, "I just…wasn't expecting you to like it."

There was something about her that made him feel free to be himself. Like he could do whatever he felt, and she wouldn't judge him. He liked that feeling.

-break-

Hiccup had grabbed a snack and gone straight to his room the moment he had gotten back from Rapunzel's. He picked up his phone and texted Merida.

_Hey_

He awaited her response with a tight grip on his heart. His feelings for her didn't make sense- she was irritable and hot-headed, always making decisions with her emotions. He was calm, cool, and thought everything through. But when he saw her, his heart melted. He loved how she lived life to the fullest, and that she wasn't afraid of anything. Her fiery spirit encouraged him- at times, it felt like her brave nature rubbed off on him. Sort of like now.

He hit the send button without thinking. After a few seconds, when the realization of what he had done dawned on him, his jaw dropped. He couldn't speak. His face turned cherry red, and he looked in his "sent" folder to see how it was he signed his death. He read the message slowly, and with a feeling of oncoming dread.

_Listen, there is something I've been wanting to tell you. Ever since we met, I've had feelings for you. You are everything I've ever wanted. You're smart, you think on your feet, and on top of all that you are beautiful. I know you probably don't think the same about me, but I want to know if you would be willing to give us a chance._

He shut the phone slowly and laid back on his bed. Perhaps he should feign sickness tomorrow. No, that wouldn't work- he'd have to face her some time. Later would probably be worse. Maybe he should instead start brainstorming a list of new friends. He was just about to get up when his phone buzzed. His heart caught in his throat and his palms were sweaty. As he scrambled to open the phone up, he almost dropped it. He finally got it open and began to read.

A feeling of rushing relief, and a big smile.


	7. Chapter 7- Prom

**Life Sucks**

**Chapter 7- Prom**

**Author's note:**

**To Mr. Man, yes, this is a Jackunzel story. If you have a problem with that pairing, you don't have to read it. I appreciate other Jack and other Rapunzel pairings- I'm not one of those "OMG THEY R SUPPOSED TO BE TOGETHER AND ONLY THEM NO ONE ELSE BLAH" super-fans. This story is an expression of mine. I've always loved the "sun and moon" theme of Jack and Rapunzel. So, ya. Without further ado, chapter 7.**

Rapunzel walked over to her locker and got her books ready for the first half of the day. She couldn't help but hum under her breath as she went about her work. If she had been paying attention during the car ride, she would have noticed that Merida was more chipper than usual. Or, during English class later that day, that Hiccup was staring out the window and daydreaming the class period away. She only noticed a change when lunch came around, and Hiccup was sitting beside Merida. The two were acting strange, that's for sure. They kept avoiding looking directly at each other, and they both seemed flushed. But before Rapunzel could make a comment, Anna began speaking.

"He seems like such a gentleman," she began, "but I can't help but think he doesn't like me for me. You know?"

Elsa replied, "I don't get it. I thought you liked Hans?"

"Ya, but…if he liked me, wouldn't he be sitting here? Instead of with Kristoff, Astrid, and Jack?"

Rapunzel glanced over at the table. Jack seemed to be sulking while the jocks went on in a conversation of their own. Astrid seemed bored at the lack of female companionship. She was busy texting away on her phone.

Merida followed her blonde friend's gaze. At first the actions they had seemed random, but then…

"Wait just a minute. Punz, doo yah see whut Ah see?"

Rapunzel looked at her, confused. "Umm, I don't think so."

Merida was born with a keen understanding of special relationships. That means that things that seem random to normal people can be interpreted as pattern for her. "The phones," she said.

Now that Anna looked, she saw it. Astrid and Hans were messaging each other. But why? The two always seemed rather distant, as if they cared nothing for each other. Her eyes narrowed, and she pulled out her own phone.

_Hey babe. Why don't you come sit with us?_

She looked away from the table and back to the group. Elsa understood her movement and monitored Hans from the corner of her eye. She noticed nothing out of the ordinary, and a moment later her sister got a reply.

_You gotta support your sister, I gotta support my friend. They both went thru a breakup, remember?_

It had never occurred to Anna that Jack might be feeling bad too. After all, he was the jerk that broke her sister's heart. "Whatever," she mumbled. Merida and Rapunzel had already gone back into another conversation.

"Are tha masks dry yet?" the redhead asked.

"I think so," Rapunzel replied. "You guys can pick them up Saturday."

"It's hard to believe that prom is so close," Elsa said.

The bell rang, and everyone got up from the table to hurry to their next class. No one noticed the exchanging of grins between Hiccup and Merida, or the way that he "accidentally" bumped their hands together. Merida looked away as she let her hand lock in with his, and they walked to class together.

-break-

Rapunzel spent the rest of the week heading to the lake after school. It was the unspoken meeting place of her and Jim. She would head out right after finishing homework and nap in the grass until he arrived. She assumed that his homeschool classes ran late, since he only showed up as the sun set. The only feature she really spent time admiring was his eyes. They were beautifully big and blue. She had spent some time sketching them at home when she realized that she really didn't know much else about him.

Saturday night rolled around, and the group met at Rapunzel's house. Merida showed up first, all decked out in her forest green dress. She pulled the decorated mask across her face and looked in the mirror.

"A masquerade," she admired. "What a wonderful theme fer a dance."

Rapunzel nodded in agreement.

Next to show were the sisters. Anna was in a darker shade of green than Merida, and Elsa was in a stunning light blue. She had sparkling jewels all down her sleeves, and her hair was pulled back off of her face.

"How beautiful!" Rapunzel exclaimed. "And the masks match perfectly!"

After another half hour, Merida became impatient.

"Where is that boy?" she demanded. "I hope he hasn't forgotten."

Rapunzel covered a smile. If only she knew…

At that moment, the doorbell rang. "Finally!" Merida exclaimed. She opened the door to see a beautiful white limo. Her jaw dropped to the ground.

"Ladies," Hiccup said as he smoothly walked up to the door and took Merida's arm in his, "it's time to go to the ball."

Rapunzel helped Hiccup with his mask and he led the three girls to the car. They hopped in and waved goodbye.

"Have fun!" Rapunzel called out after them. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy for them. They were going to have such a great time…

But perhaps she would too. She pulled out her phone.

_U busy 2nite?_

The reply came swiftly.

_Nope. Wanna hang?_

A smile spread across her face and she hurried to get her shoes on.

-break-

Elsa admired the limousine. It was much bigger on the inside than it seemed from the outside. She looked to the front and saw a bottle and some glasses. "Is that..?"

Hiccup laughed. "Nope, just sparkling grape juice. Want some? It comes with the package deal."

Merida lit up. "Is there sparklin' apple juice too?"

Hiccup pulled out a bottle on his side and grabbed a glass. "Just for you," he said as suavely as possible. Merida rolled her eyes playfully and took the glass. The sisters settled with the white grape flavor.

When the group arrived, Anna looked around for Hans. "He said he would meet me at the front," she told Elsa. "I wonder why he didn't want to pick me up…" her heart fell a bit. After thirty minutes of waiting, Elsa took her sister's hand.

"C'mon, let's go join the others inside. He probably got stuck in traffic. He'll be here soon."

Anna gave in and let her sister lead her to the party. Some techno rave music was playing, so they sat down at the table.

"Hey Hiccup, where's Merida?"

Hiccup just pointed and the girls followed his gaze. The fiery redhead was tearing it up, moving to the upbeat music. Hiccup sighed dreamily.

"Why don't you join her?" Elsa asked.

"No no no no no…" Hiccup countered, his hands up, "I don't do that kind of dancing."

Just as he said it, Merida walked over and grabbed his arm. "Let's go, mouse boy!"

The sisters laughed as he awkwardly tried to copy Merida's movements. Elsa got some good shots with her phone and posted them onto the internet.

-break-

Kristoff had been waiting by the door for over an hour now. It seemed like Astrid wasn't going to show, and she wasn't answering her phone. He sighed, and decided to go in anyways. He had spent all that money on the tickets, might as well enjoy himself. He walked inside and looked around. His eyes landed on a small table to the side where Elsa and Anna were sitting. He decided to walk over to them- it couldn't be that awkward, right?

As he approached the table, a slow song began playing. Elsa looked up at him, and he held out his hand. "Care to dance, m'lady?"

Elsa smiled at her friend, and took his hand. "Why yes, kind sir."

Anna sighed happily as she watched her sister dance. Elsa and Kristoff had always been good friends. It seemed like now they were joking about something; they kept laughing. It was nice to see her sister laugh. She thanked him silently.

After the song finished, the four kids joined Anna at the table. Merida had gotten the group a huge plateful of finger snacks from the buffet table. They all began digging in.

"So Kris, where's Hans?" Elsa asked. It was unlike Anna's "prince charming" to be late to any event.

"I don't know," he replied, "and Astrid hasn't shown yet either. She was beginning to look sick a day or two ago…I wish she would answer her phone…"

"I'm sure she'll be alright," Anna said.

Kristoff gave her a smile, and her heart fluttered a bit. At first she fought it down, but then she realized something- she had been ditched by her boyfriend, who she was beginning to fall out of love with anyways. Why feel bad about liking someone else? Her face set in determination, she took Kristoff's hand. "Let's dance!"

The two hit the dance floor and the others continued eating. "Looks like there's trouble en paradise…" Merida began.

"What do you mean?" Elsa asked.

"Well, neither one of they're dates arrived fer one," Merida explained, "and honestly they didn't look too happy together at tha start."

Elsa looked back at her sister and her friend. She raised an eyebrow and smiled. Perhaps her sister was finally thinking for herself and choosing what _she_ wanted. Elsa was proud.


	8. Chapter 8- Antidote

**Life Sucks**

**Chapter 8- Antidote**

**Author's note: thank you all for your wonderful words of encouragement. This chapter mirrors a video I made (check it out, it's called "back to the FAIRYTALES {vent}" on my youtube channel, xsweetestdownfall). Ya, it's a vent. Fanfic writing is also my way of venting. The video (and this chapter) reveal Rapunzel's past! So, if you'd like, check it out. :)**

Rapunzel walked along the path that led to the lake. She entered through a densely wooded area to a worn patch of ground. She sat down, slowly unbraiding her hair. She and Jim had been meeting at this spot for a week now. It seemed like every time they spoke, she felt more and more connected to him. Like she really knew him. A rustling in the trees around her told her that he was close.

"Hey," Jack said as he approached Rapunzel.

"Hey," she replied.

"It's kinda late to meet up, huh?" For a while Jack had just stared at his phone, unsure if she was going to the prom or not. He certainly didn't want her to know that he had already been waiting for her for an hour. It was just understood that they met here after school. For him, when it got dark. It was much easier to disguise himself that way. But he knew he'd have to tell her soon. Summer was coming, and with the disappearing of cold weather went his excuse to cover his hair. Maybe he could dye it…but then it would be obvious at school. Ugh.

"Well, I had some friends over earlier," Rapunzel admitted. "You know, you should hang out with us some time. They really are a great group of people." She knew to approach this topic carefully. When she had been homeschooled her entire life, the sudden introduction of so many people had caused her to overload. She freaked out and ended up hidden in the janitor's closet, refusing to leave. Luckily, Merida had seen some girls picking on her later that week and stood up for her. Introducing their faces to the lockers wouldn't have been Rapunzel's first move, but it was efficient. She was never bothered again, and Merida had proven to be a good friend ever since.

"I'm not sure. Maybe another time."

Rapunzel understood, and lowered her eyes to the ground. Jack recognized the look. She had been wearing it a lot lately. Was something troubling her?

"Let me spin you a tale of love and regret,

Of adventure, romance, and sorrow;

The hero is not a greater man yet,

Nor will he be in the 'morrow."

Rapunzel smiled. "Is that your newest?"

"Are you kidding me? I came up with it just now, actually," he replied sheepishly. She was able to bring that out in him. "You just seemed like you could use some cheering up. What's on your mind?"

Her expression darkened again, and he suddenly wished he hadn't brought it up.

"I just…haven't felt this way in a while," she confessed.

"What way?"

"Like I can share anything with you," she said hurriedly. "Like I know you, on a deeper level than just a casual acquaintance."

His face reddened, and he felt guilty. "I don't think-"

"Just hear me out," she cut him off. _Before I lose my confidence_, she added silently.

Jack looked back to her and listened.

Rapunzel took a breath, and continued. "Before we moved here, I was a different person. I mean, not too different, but different enough. I had always obeyed mother since I was a child, without question. But as I grew older, I began to rebel. It was small things at first- not washing the dishes, or leaving my room a mess. Then I fell in love."

Jack winced. He had a bad feeling about this.

"She didn't approve, of course. He was a few grades ahead of me. But he actually saw me and accepted me for who I was- that's something my mom does grudgingly. It was nice to feel loved…" She trailed off, hugging herself. Jack wanted to put an arm around her, but settled for scooting closer and putting his hand on her shoulder.

"She tried to warn me. I wouldn't listen. And she was right."

He caught her eyes, and saw a single tear fall down her face. "What happened?" he softly prompted.

"He wasn't who he said he was. Everything he told me was a lie. He took advantage of my emotions."

Jack's hands balled into fists. "He did what?!"

"He never laid a hand on me," she assured him, "but the biggest scar he left was on my heart. Because he tried, and when he didn't get what he wanted, he gave up and moved on."

This time he did put his arm around her. He hold her closely as she cried into his chest. He slowly rubbed her back and shushed her softly, telling her that it would be alright. "He's gone now," he assured her, "he can't hurt you."

_But I can_, he reminded himself.

"Listen, Rapunzel…"

The blonde looked up at him. "Yes?"

"I don't think what he did was right. He sounds like a jerk."

She nodded in agreement.

"And I don't want to be a jerk to you. I don't want to trick you, or hide from you. I want to tell you who I am."

Her face was quizzical. "But I know who you are. You're Jim."

He winced at the words. She only grew more puzzled.

"The truth is, I've been hiding who I really am from you."

"But why would you do something like that?" she asked with a forced chuckle, hoping that this was some sort of joke.

"My name isn't Jim. I told you that because I know you'd treat me differently if you knew who I was, and I wanted to- just for once- know what someone like you would think of me without any pre-judgements."

Rapunzel's face was unreadable. "Well then, who are you?"

Jack slowly removed his beanie, and her face turned white. When he looked back up at her, he could read her face too well. She was surprised, yes- but on top of that, she was hurt. He could see the feeling of betrayal in her eyes.

"You tricked me."

The words were barely a whisper, but they came out loud and clear to Jack. He opened his mouth to speak, but she was already getting up.

"Rapunzel!"

Instead of shouting, she simply turned around and glared at him, speaking slowly and quietly. A new darkness had crept into her voice. "Don't speak to me," she said to him. She walked away, the wound that was in her heart ripped open anew.

She slammed the door to her room and refused to come out the entire weekend. She couldn't believe herself! She had let it happen- AGAIN. She had opened her heart, and what did she get in return? Trickery. Some snobby, teenage drama-king had decided to play undercover spy. She shuddered as she thought of what he might do with the information she had trusted him with. Mock her? Tell the whole school that she was a ditz who went around naively trusting total strangers? And the 'poetry'- probably staged as well. She should have googled it when she had the chance before, but it was too late now. She had turned her phone off that night, and off it stayed until Monday. She wasn't going to let someone cause her pain again.


	9. Chapter 9- Drama

**Life Sucks**

**Chapter 9- Drama**

Rapunzel stirred softly, ignoring the annoying noise that had woken her up. She had a big day ahead of her- she glanced sleepily at the clock- in about four hours. She sighed and rolled over to the other side. The soft clacking continued. Finally, she got up and moved to her window to see what it was.

Jack had almost given up when he saw a silhouette move behind the window. He hoped to God it was Rapunzel's, and not her mothers. The thought had crossed his mind. The window opened, and a sleepy blonde-headed girl looked out. Her gaze went from confusion to understanding, and then to annoyance.

"I told you to leave me alone," she said coldly. "I won't say it again."

She went to close her window. Jack tried to stop her. "Rapunzel, wait!" He managed to get his hand under the window before it shut all the way. He gave it all his strength to lift it back up against the force of her anger. "Just…listen…to…me…" he managed as he fought her.

"Leave…me…alone…" she was fighting back, and with a ferociousness he had never seen before. Deciding that the battle wasn't worth getting his hand chopped off, he slowly let go, and she shut him out once more.

"I have tomorrow," he muttered to himself. "She can't hide forever."

For once in his life, he had found something that he was terrified of losing. The thought scared him, but he fought down the fear. He just had to talk to her when she had a clear mind. When he could explain himself. If he had known about her past, he would have gone about the whole ordeal much differently. But what was done was in the past, and all he could do was look to the future.

-break-

"Well, yoo've bin rather quiet this mornin'," Merida remarked. She was hurt- her friend hadn't talked to her all weekend, and didn't even ask how prom went.

"I really don't want to talk about it right now," Rapunzel replied.

The pulled into the parking lot and the blonde got out of the car. It crossed Merida's mind that her friend might be jealous. Or fighting with her mom. Either way, she had faith that her friend would eventually come around and tell her what was wrong. A thought struck her.

"Well, we'll hafta talk tomorrow," she said. "Hiccup and Ah are goin' on a field trip today, remember?"

In the confusion and excitement, Rapunzel had forgotten about that. Looks like she'll be sitting with Elsa and Anna today at lunch. It wasn't a bad thing, though. She wouldn't be completely alone. She mumbled a reply to let her friend know she heard and headed off to her locker.

-break-

The Monday after prom was honestly a joke. It was dubbed "senior skip day", so the majority of the senior class wasn't attending, and the teachers were more or less okay with that. For Eugene Fitzherbert, it was relaxing. He could extend his lunch and catch up on grading. It's odd how empty the school seemed with only one fourth of its population missing.

Before he got a chance to settle into his classroom, a girl came rushing in. She looked around frantically, and finally decided to position herself behind a large file cabinet. Eugene looked at her, confused.

"Blondie?"

"Shh!"

Jack Frost ran by the hallway, then peeked in.

"Hey Mr. Fitzherbert," he began. "Have you seen anyone come by here?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Eugene saw Rapunzel put her finger to her lips and shake her head.

"Sorry buddy," he replied. "Haven't seen anyone this morning. But if you're looking for someone, you won't have to look too hard. It's a graveyard today," he added jokingly.

"Tell me about it…" the white-haired boy mumbled. "Thanks," he said as he walked past the room and onto the next hallway.

Rapunzel sighed with relief and collapsed into the nearest desk.

Eugene went about his normal morning routine, getting all of his papers stacked neatly and his computer fired up. "Do I want to know?" He finally asked.

Rapunzel was startled out of her thoughts. "Oh, it's just-"

"Boy trouble?"

She sighed. "Yes."

"Well, I'm no therapist or counselor, but I was a teenage boy once," he began in his lecture voice, "and I can tell you they are nothing but trouble. If I were you, I'd stay away."

"That's what I've been trying to do," she confessed, although she had a feeling they were talking about apples and oranges. She truly doubted he had any idea the true reason she was avoiding Jack.

His toned softened. "Not just physically, Blondie."

This caught her attention. "What do you mean?"

"While guys his age are interested mainly in physical stuff, that's not the only way they can hurt you. You see, most guys aren't as emotionally developed as most girls. They blunder through that part of the relationship terribly. They just don't know how to approach things sometimes. When they are around their buddies, they don't care if they hurt each other's feelings. It's a guy thing, seen as a joke, not taken seriously. But around girls…" He leaned his arms on his desk, meeting her eyes. "Girls are much more fragile. We are either afraid of breaking them, or not aware of what we are doing at all."

Rapunzel gained a new understanding, and felt like she was seeing things in a new light. She also realized that she hadn't been very fair to Jack. He had been trying desperately to see her again- something her ex had never done. Thinking about him again made her angry. He had never once tried to apologize for his actions or ask for her forgiveness. But Jack- he had gone so far as to sneak over to her house to try and talk with her. Maybe she had misjudged him.

Her face set in determination, she looked back up at her teacher. "Thank you," she said, "I think I know what I have to do now."

Eugene smiled. "Well, if he has hurt you in some way," he began, "I'm very good friends with coach E. Aster. I'm sure we could arrange an 'accident' involving the football players and your little friend…"

She knew what he was hinting at, and smiled. "That won't be necessary. But thank you." She gave him a quick hug and hurried out of his room, looking for Jack.

-break-

Merida giggled as Hiccup continued his interpretive dance moves. She couldn't take him seriously with the crown of leaves he had placed on his head. He smiled, his facing flushing a bit.

"It's your turn. Go on, read the lines!" He insisted.

She couldn't believe that Hiccup- of all people- would have agreed to skip school today to hang out in the woods behind her house. She looked down at the paper and back up to the matching leaf tiara on her own head. "Oh," she said, swooning, "Be still mah heart…" she interrupted herself with another fit of giggles. "Mah prince has come to save meh from tha evil beast, Angus!"

Her horse whinnied as if to sound threatening.

Hiccup took her hand and kissed it. "You're a beautiful one, princess Merida," he said softly. The parody had gone out of his voice, and the moment had suddenly become serious. Merida usually disliked seriousness, but there was something about the look in his eyes. She pulled his hand so that he was leaning toward her and kissed him full on the lips.

The kiss didn't last long, but to Hiccup, time froze. All he could feel were her lips touching his. A feeling of indescribable happiness came over him, and the world went black.

-break-

Jack sat up against the wall of the hallway, feeling defeated. She had managed to slip his grasp. He was so close- if everything had gone according to plan Saturday night, he would have confessed his feelings for her. Maybe it was best that they weren't together. After all, they only had another year anyway. They'd probably go to different colleges. He'd never see her again anyways.

"…Jack?"

He froze, and his thoughts dissipated like fog in the sun. "Rapunzel?"

The blonde slowly walked toward him and sat down against the wall opposite of him. "Yeah."

"But, I thought-"

"Look, I wasn't being very fair," she confessed. "I should have given you a chance to explain yourself."

He pinched himself. Nope, this wasn't a dream. She was actually willing to listen.

-break-

"HOLD ON HICCUP EVERYTHIN WILL BE ALRIGHT AH GOTCHA"

Hiccup slowly came to, and the world was a blur and very bouncy. He looked up and saw Merida's face. Suddenly everything came to a halt, and she lifted him off of her horse, tossing him into the stream.

"AAHHH!" He splashed around, finally sitting up and shaking the water out of his hair.

"Oh, thank goodness. Yer awake! Ah thought ya died back there."

"Did…did I…wait, what?"

"Ah kissed ya, and ya fainted."

He put his head in his hands. "I can't believe this. I'm so embarrassed…"

Merida just chuckled. "First time ya got kissed by a girl, huh?"

"Ya… Wait, YES IT IS!" He stood up and jumped up and down, his hands in the air. "I GOT KISSED BY A GIRL!"

It was Merida's turn to put her head in her hands.

-break-

"WHAT?!"

Anna's heart broke in two. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"You…you JERK!"

She ran away, as far as she could. She couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her face. She finally found Elsa.

"Anna, what is it? What's wrong?"

Anna began sobbing. She just let it all out, unable to control herself. Elsa held her sister tightly. "Anna, what happened?"

Her sister couldn't respond if she wanted to. Grief took over and wrecked her insides, tearing a hole in her heart. She pulled away from Elsa and ran into the bathroom, making it just in time to empty the content of her stomach into the nearest toilet.

Elsa followed soon after and saw her sister huddled in the corner. She slowly and calmly took a paper towel, wet it with cool water, and wrung it out over the sink. She pressed it against Anna's forehead, and then placed another behind her neck. She held her closely once again, the sobs subsiding.

"Thank you," Anna managed. "He…"

"Shhh, it's okay. You don't have to tell me now." Although she had a growing suspicion she knew the reason for the issue. She texted Merida.

_We have a problem_.

She didn't wait for a response, knowing that she wouldn't see the redhead at lunch. "C'mon, let's go home," she told Anna. Her sister nodded. She didn't have the strength to make it through the day. Elsa cursed her sister's gentle heart. She loved fully, and she fell hardest.

"He wanted to have sex," Anna blurted. "After prom. But I had already told him no. He didn't show up, I figured he was off throwing some fit or sulking."

Elsa turned to her sister, a question on her face. "He wasn't?"

"He wasn't."

That's all she needed to know, and she walked her sister to the nurse to get permission to leave campus.


	10. Chapter 10- Heartbreak and Healing

**Life Sucks**

**Chapter 10- Heartbreak and Healing**

**Author's note:**

**Oh my gosh, chapter 10! I had no idea that this story would make it this far. Thank you so much to all of you leaving reviews, they have been very helpful. Sorry this one is so short, I leave to go back to college soon and I have to get a lot of stuff in order before then. Enjoy!**

Rapunzel gave Jack a small smile. "I think I understand."

He felt relieved. He was glad that she gave him a chance to explain himself. And for the fact that everyone they knew seemed to be gone…

The two sat across from each other at Rapunzel's lunch table. Merida and Hiccup were on a field trip with their theatre class, Elsa had taken Anna home (apparently she had gotten sick), and neither Hans, Kristoff, nor Astrid could be found.

The two poked around at their food in awkward silence. Jack was going to ask if she wanted to hang out after school when two girls walked up to him. Why was it teen girls always traveled in packs?

"Hey, um, Jack?"

He looked at the sophomore in front of him. "I was just wondering if the rumors were tru-"

"Look, I'm not interested," he said, cutting her off. She was taken back, then hurried away with her friend. Rapunzel suddenly felt the awkwardness level rise. Finally, Jack couldn't take it anymore. He stood up, grabbed her hand, and led her out of the lunchroom and down an abandoned hallway.

"Where are we going?"

"Shh, you'll see," he said, giving her a wink and a devilish smile.

Her heart fluttered a bit. He led her out the back of the school to the field house where the athletes' lockers were.

"…Jack?"

"Everyone else is out having fun today, why not us?"

"But why are we-"

He cut her off when he reached into his locker and grabbed his keys, jingling them in front of her face. "Where to, Princess Rapunzel? The day is yours."

"I'm not sure if we should-"

He cut her off once again with a finger to her lips. "Guess that means I decide," he said. He pulled her hand along with him, but felt resistance. He turned back to her. "What?"

"I've just never done this before…"

"It'll be fine, everyone else skips today anyways." He put his arm around her shoulders.

She smiled up at him and nodded. "Alright," she replied. "To the lake?"

"To the lake."

Before he could stop himself, he leaned in close to her. His lips made contact with hers, and it felt amazing. She froze up, then melted as he held her tightly. When he pulled away from her, both of their faces were flushed.

"After you," he gestured toward the parking lot.

-break-

Kristoff looked around nervously. He shouldn't be here, but he had no choice. He had to know. He knocked on the door, dreading every moment.

The door opened. "Yes?"

He had been expecting one of Hans' parents, but instead it was Hans himself.

"Oh, hey," Kristoff said. Hans looked him up and down, his face slightly annoyed.

"What do you want? I'm busy." Behind him, a blonde figure rushed up the stairs.

"Never mind," Kristoff said, his eyes downcast. That was all he needed to know. "I guess I'll catch you tomorrow."

"Whatever," Hans said, then shut the door.

Kris fought off tears as he walked back to the park. He should have gone to school that morning, but Astrid had been dodging him, and Hans had been acting so weird… he had put it together more quickly than he had expected. He wanted to see if he was right. His phone buzzed, and for a moment he considered ignoring it. Probably Hans gloating over his new conquest. Before he could get it out of his pocket, it began to ring.

"Hello?"

"Kris! Elsa here. Thank goodness. I'm not interrupting class, am I?"

"Uhh, no. Why? What's wrong?"

"Do you think you could come by after school?"

"Sure."

"Thank you! See you soon."

"Bye."

He guessed that Anna had heard the news. At least, he hoped. He'd hate to be the one to tell her. Maybe he could get Elsa to do it, since the two were so close.

-break-

Merida was napping cozily under a tree, cooling off in its shade. Hiccup had been with her there for a while, but soon decided that he couldn't sleep. Instead of waking her, he thought he might wander around for a bit.

He had gone out pretty far from where she was when he heard it. There was a soft snort, almost drowned out in the afternoon breeze. He looked around, but couldn't find the source of the noise. It had sounded a bit like Angus…

As his gaze shifted across the shadows, he saw it. Very faintly, two yellow eyes. He slowly approached the shadow that lay a few feet in front of him, holding out an apple. The large eyes blinked, then leaned out into the light to sniff the fruit. Hiccup held his breath- could this be? The Night Fury that Merida had told him about? He recalled earlier that week when she had told him that she wanted so badly to ride one, but they were a very rare breed. He didn't dare smile, in case he scared the beast away. How could she have lived here so long without knowing that there was one in her very own backyard?

The beast snorted and began stepping backwards. Hiccup slowly lowered the untouched apple to the ground, then backed away. This seemed to have gained the animal's trust, and the rare horse leaned down to snatch the apple away. As he opened his mouth, Hiccup noticed that its teeth were rather small for a horse his size. He could barely make them out past the beast's large lips.

"It's almost like you're toothless," he whispered under his breath.

The horse gave him a look as if to say "Ya, and what about it?"

So much like Merida, he thought to himself. The horse looked around and, sensing no danger, walked out of the shadows and toward the skinny boy. Hiccup stood completely still as the horse circled him, sniffing his hair and pockets.

"I don't have any more with me…" Hiccup said, defending himself.

The horse snorted, then looked over to where Merida sat. Next to her were some apples and carrots she had brought out for Angus. It was obvious that the Night Fury wanted one, but he kept his distance from the strangers. For a moment, it froze, then looked over at Hiccup.

He had put his hand gently on the horse's mane. "How beautiful," he remarked in awe. The beast went from slightly annoyed to proud, raising his head as if to say "I know, I know. No autographs, please."

"May I?" Hiccup asked politely. Before the horse could make any sort of remark, he had leapt off from the ground and onto the horse's back.

Merida awoke quickly, her ears blasted from what sounded like Angus in trouble. She looked over at her beloved horse and realized that he was fine. "Wha' tha…"

She then looked over to her left, where a very frightened Hiccup was holding on for dear life to a very frightened…Night Fury? Her heart skipped a beat. What an amazing discovery! She saddled onto Angus and readied her rope. This was going to be so much fun!

**Another Author's Note:**

**Reading some of the comments! Now hold up, I never set Anna and Kristoff together, at least not yet. As Merida would say, "Hold yer horses!"**

**Also to , thank you. :) When I read your first comment, I was a bit hurt. Mainly because I didn't want to be seen as just another jackunzel fangirl. It makes me feel happy to know that you are enjoying the story!**

**As far as Hans and Astrid, I'm going to leave that to your imaginations. ;) **

**And to donthavealogin, I want to thank you so much! Your words of defense are such healing to me! I don't think I've ever been defended like that before. :) Thank you again, and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!**


	11. Chapter 11- Oops!

**Life Sucks**

**Chapter 11- Oops!**

**Author's note: I am SOOO sorry that this is so short….I was supposed to get this up this weekend but all my teachers were like "what's that you have a long weekend? Well here's some homework and a few projects to keep you from getting bored"… :(**

**Anyways, enjoy! I'll be updating as soon as possible.**

Rapunzel giggled as he continued his story. She was whisked away in enchantment as he told of the fierce dragon that the daring hero had to face so that he could save the princess.

"The beast stood at least fifty feet tall," he said, crouching low to the ground, "but Hercules knew it was no match for his super-human strength!"

The blonde girl was sitting on a large rock jutting out onto the small river that ran through the park area. Jack was on the banks, acting out his story. As he spoke, his voice ebbed and flowed like the water, and she found herself entranced, hanging onto his every word.

"What did he do?" she asked, begging him to go on.

"Well, he was lucky enough to catch the dragon napping. He tried tip-toeing around it, but dragons have a great sense of hearing, you see."

Her eyes grew wide in fear. "It heard him?"

"Yes," he continued, "and it was VERY angry! Hercules was not only trying to get past him, but he had awoken him from his nap!"

She let out a small laugh. "I wouldn't want to face a grumpy dragon," she said.

"Neither did Hercules," he replied. "But as the fierce dragon lunged at him, he threw his sword like an arrow, and it pierced the beast's heart. Just as it was about to fall on him, he jumped to the side, and it fell past him to the ground."

"Did he save the princess?"

"Of course!" Jack said, as if it were the silliest question he had heard. "He ran up the winding staircase to where she slept on the highest floor of the tallest tower."

"Was she pretty?"

"Beautiful," he said, his voice becoming soft. "Her hair was gold as the sun, and her lips shamed the red rose."

She sighed happily.

"And when Hercules leaned down to kiss her, the spell was broken, and she awoke!" Jack had been moving closer and closer to where Rapunzel sat, and when he finished the story their faces were almost touching. For a moment they just stared into each other's eyes. They could hear nothing but the sound of water rushing by and their hearts pounding in their chests.

"You're a very good storyteller," she said.

"You're a very good listener," he replied.

He began to move closer when water splashed up onto the side of his face. He looked over the river just as a large, dark object knocked him over. He heard Rapunzel's scream faintly as the edge of his vision became blurred. His ears rang and suddenly became very hot, as if catching fire. All sound came to a halt and his vision faded out to black.

-break-

Elsa sat down outside the door to the room that she and Anna shared. She could hear her sister inside, still crying. She leaned back against the door, closing her eyes. She considered going back inside, but decided to give her sister some space to work things out on her own. She was startled out of her thoughts when she heard a knock at the door.

When she opened it, she saw Kristoff standing on their doorstep.

"Hey," he said, his voice soft. She saw that his eyes were red, and his face was slightly swollen. She let him into the house and offered him some water.

"What happened?" she asked. He looked so…defeated.

"I'm sure you heard," he said. "About Hans, and Astrid?"

Elsa put the two together quickly. "Oh my goodness, Kris, I'm- I'm so sorry. I had no idea…" Her voice trailed off. He looked up at her and her heart went out to him. He looked just like her sister. Like she herself had looked only weeks before. Before she knew what she was doing, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly.

He hesitated, then hugged her back. "Thank you," he managed shakily.

Anna closed her door and went back into her room. She looked out her window with a small smile. Despite her own pain, she felt a bit of hope. She loved her twin very much, and it made her happy to think of the budding romance between her and her friend.

Her expression darkened again when she remembered the reason for Kristoff's visit. He was in pain as well, and she hated seeing her friends get hurt. Certainly someone could do something about it…

-break-

Hiccup laid sprawled on the ground, his heart pounding in his ears. "Ugh…" he managed.

Merida looked him over and gave him a smirk. "You'll live," she said sarcastically. The redhead looked back to where her friend was kneeling. "Punz?" she asked, incredulous.

Rapunzel was sitting just above Jack, her face panicked. "I don't think he's breathing!" her voice was flurried, and her heart was racing out of her control.

Merida shook off the confusion as to why Jack Frost was there and walked over to him. "Calm down Punzie," she reassured her friend. "He jus' had tha air knocked out of 'im. Watch."

She laid him out on his back and lifted his knees up to his chest. "See, this opens up tha lungs," she explained. Rapunzel watched carefully as his chest began to rise and fall once again. When his breathing became less sputtered and returned more or less to normal, Merida set his legs back down. He was still unconscious, but he would be alright.

"Wow, where did you learn that?" the blonde asked her friend.

"Well, when yer thrown off enough horses, ya get to knowin' what ta doo when ya get the air knocked outta ya," she replied.

Rapunzel gave her a big hug.

"Now et's mah turn," Merida countered. "What are yoo doin' outta school- and with _him_?"

Rapunzel blushed, realizing that she and Merida hadn't spoken in a while. "It's a long story…"

"How about we all head back to mah house?" Merida offered.

"Ooh, I'll make us some cookies!" Rapunzel replied.

"Sorry about the horse…" Hiccup chimed in.

"Eh, don't worry about et," Merida said. "I'll get 'im eventually. It was cool to see 'im, though!"

Hiccup smiled, then helped saddle the unconscious Jack Frost onto Angus. The three walked beside the horse, heading back to Merida's house.

"Hey," Rapunzel said as realization dawned on her. "Aren't you and Hiccup supposed to be on a field trip?"

It was Merida's turn to blush, and Hiccup avoided Rapunzel's gaze.

"Uhh, et's a long story?"

Rapunzel giggled. "Well you can start by explaining why Hiccup was riding such a ferocious looking animal…"


End file.
